Chapter 76 - Work

Over the course of the next few years Kaiser accompanied the Head of the Peacekeepers like a shadow. They trained together in all forms of combat with various lessons of weapon handling, putting a lot of focus on his knife mastery as, at least according to Mr.Chip, knifes were almost always available as they were a basic tool to guarantee a certain minimum of survival of the competitors. Additionally Kaiser was trained on how to distinguish between edible and inedible plants as well as their general properties, helpful as well as harmful, how to build things using commonplace materials, cooking as well as certain strategies and tactics which would allow him to survive for a longer period of time.

On a regular basis Kaiser, accompanied by a small team of peacekeepers who could check on his location and general health, was sent into sections of the forest inside the district zones to test his knowledge in practice. His footage was later analyzed and they discussed what he had done correctly and what had went wrong. Additionally through practice using various simulations they taught him how he should behave in certain scenarios.

Additionally to practicing combat and the complicated art of survival which was their main focus they also taught him art, dancing, playing instruments as well as acting and presentation which he was very good at due to the teachings of the principal of his orphanage, causing him to excel at these things which astounded many.

After he had reached a certain level in the latter parts they stopped and refocused on the first two things which were much more important, art and dancing only being necessary to make his character a bit more interesting and acting as well as presentation were necessary for talks with important people as well as discussions and business with them.

After his twelfth birthday which marked the beginning of possibles accidental draws were only dedicated to training him as much as possible. He didn't have to go to school anymore as they had studied ahead in the previous years and so Kaiser had already finished the few things they were being taught there as well as a few extras. Now he only worked on the fields and with animals in the morning together with other workers to increase his strength while he studied fighting and survival in the afternoon and evening. Everything was going according to plan until a few weeks after his fourteenth birthday.

When his alarm clock rang at six o'clock Kaiser simply yawned and stood up directly. Should he give in to the comfort of his bed he would never be able to leave before nine. He had tried once and had paid dearly. Three hours hanging from the ceiling by your feet while counting down all the plants mentioned in the fifth volume of "The World of Plants; Dark secrets and hidden truths" truly helps with getting ready in time. While his siblings grumbled at the noise, wishing to sleep for a few more minutes Kaiser , after finishing his usual morning routine, headed towards the kitchen table. There, together with his father and uncle he ate a bit before they all headed towards sector B3. Usually around ten Kaiser would switch to Zone C3 in order to improve his strength trough different work. First Kaiser and the other two family members walked to a bus stop which picked them up to drive them towards the center of the Zone where they were going to work at their usual farm. Entering the bus they greeted a few acquaintances who were working on the same farm. Adonis a kind old man who despite his old age was still quite strong and had taught Kaiser everything he currently knew about farming was his favorite. After Mr. Chip had learned about their relationship he had also accompanied Kaiser to his trips to Zone C3 where the old man taught Kaiser how to handle the various crops that were being grown there.

Another one was Alyssum who was the closest worker to Kaiser in age. They had become friends very quickly and Adonis had taught the both of them. As they stopped in various corners to pick up the rest the bus quickly filled up and soon after left the city. After a few more minutes during which they could still enjoy the view over the many fields and ranches as well as the first few workers who had already arrived on their designated spot. Due to a well worked out system there wasn't any dense traffic that stopped the buses from arriving on time so they smoothly arrived at their farm.

It wasn't too small and a few hundred cattle were kept here to produce dairy products on a daily basis. To improve the production rates all commonly farmed goods that were being produced for feeding the working population had been genetically enhanced to yield more or grow faster. In the privileged capitol however genetically enhanced products were mostly frowned upon although simple size or design enhancements were generally accepted. Today it was finally time to reap the grass and the clovers that had been grown to feed the cows. The clovers were directly used to feed the cows but the grass they had reaped was spread over the field and was left to dry in the sun.

Although it was still early in the day Kaiser was already sweating. After all he was still fourteen and had not yet reached the full strength of an a.d.u.l.t which frustrated him to no end. Previously he had been able to obliterate stone walls without any issues at a far younger age but now he was struggling to fully mow down a field of grass which, although it was immensely large, would have been an easy task for him previously. Wiping the sweat which was dripping from his forehead and into his eyes he looked to his sides. More then eight people were reaping together with him while four others were laying the grass out to dry properly. Once again tying his long black hair into a ponytail he took deep breaths to relax himself. From his left side he felt a small nudge. Glancing over he saw Alyssum holding a water bottle towards him. "Need something?" He asked.

Smiling Kaiser took it, taking a few sips before handing it back. Looking around he saw Adonis mowing. Despite his advanced age the guy was a beast and was already ahead of most others. He must have been downright terrifyingly strong in his prime. By now he had fallen far behind so he readied himself once more before continuing with the work. Over the next few hours they would have to mow a few more fields and turn over the drying grass from time to time to get rid of all the water inside in order to dry it properly. In the evening the others would load it onto wagons and store it in the large barns behind the main building. This was the third harvest this year and would probably be the last one before the end of summer. Due to the warm climate they could probably harvest a bit more than normally. It promised to be quite a nice year all things considered.

After a few more hours on the fields Kaiser and the old man Adonis got inside a bus that had been prepared especially for them and were driven towards Zone C3 to continue harvesting. Exhausted from the work they had already done Kaiser leaned back and relaxed. Although the day wasn't finished yet his arm muscles as well as his waist, abdomen and back hurt already. Preserving his energy was important. Inside the way to warm bus, sweating from all pores with sticky hair, feeling generally uncomfortable Kaiser somehow managed to fall asleep.